1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink feeding apparatus in a flexographic press.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 7 schematically shows a conventional chamber doctor blade type ink feeding apparatus (hereinafter referred to simply as "ink feeding apparatus") in a flexographic press. In this ink feeding apparatus, a beam 2 is disposed so as to face the surface of an anilox roll 1. This beam 2 has a width approximately equal to the total length of the anilox roll 1. The beam 2 is provided with a blade mounting plate 3. The upper part of the blade mounting plate 3 is formed with an inclined face 3a extending rearward obliquely, and the lower part thereof is also formed with an inclined face 3b extending rearward obliquely. On the inclined faces 3a and 3b, a seal blade 4 and a doctor blade 5 are disposed, respectively. The tip ends of the seal blade 4 and doctor blade 5 are positioned close to or in contact with the surface of the anilox roll 1. The openings at both ends of a space defined by the blade mounting plate 3, seal blade 4, doctor blade 5, and anilox roll 1 are closed by side plates 6, 6. This space forms a chamber 7 into which ink is fed. On the other hand, a groove 2a is formed in the surface of the beam 2 on the side of the blade mounting plate 3, and the blade mounting plate 3 is formed with holes 3c which connect the groove 2a to the chamber 7. Further, the lower end portion of the blade mounting plate 3 is formed with a hole 3d, so that the chamber 7 is connected with an ink tube 8 via this hole 3d.
In the conventional ink feeding apparatus configured as described above, ink is fed into the chamber 7 through the ink tube 8, the ink filled in the chamber 7 is applied onto the surface of the anilox roll 1, and the ink is scraped to a predetermined film thickness by the doctor blade 5, by which the film thickness of ink is controlled.
For the above-described conventional ink feeding apparatus in a flexographic press, after the color is changed or the printing is finished, it is necessary to recover the ink in the chamber 7 and clean the chamber 7. To recover the ink and clean the chamber 7, the ink in the ink tube 8 is sucked by rotating a pump 9 in the reverse direction, cleaning water is supplied into the groove 2a in the beam 2, and further supplied into the chamber 7 from the groove 2a through the holes 3c to clean the interior of the chamber 7. After cleaning, the water is discharged through the ink tube 8 by using the pump 9.
However, in the above-described conventional ink feeding apparatus in a flexographic press, since the junctions of the blade mounting plate 3 and the seal blade 4 and doctor blade 5, which define the chamber 7, that is, the corners of the chamber 7 make an acute angle, the ink having accumulated in the corner portions is not recovered at the time of ink recovery. Also, even if cleaning water is circulated at the time of cleaning, it is difficult for the water to flow into the corner portions, so that thorough cleaning cannot be performed.